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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2009 8:09:08 GMT
I was also once in a pub in Nottingham where I was served by a barman wearing a Torquay BGS sixth form blazer. I need reassurance it wasn't a member of this forum. Or was it? ..thread slippage here but hey............. ...wow how fantastic re you getting served by someone in a TBGS VI form blazer Barton............... .........I notice nowadays from seeing around the town no such yellow badge exists for the VI form at TBGS methinks (I don't know even if a VI form exists as such these days tbh - I think its all gone US stylee with Year 11 and such like) - in my day 1972-77 - as my good and learned friend on here Andygulls will vouch - it was Clifford/Spragge/Pitman/Dobson as the four houses - with no badge distinction - only a different tie - with the house colour discretely hidden - I was Spragge - blue - nowadays I think the blazer badge has a different colour piping around it depending on the individuals' particular house (6 nowadays?) - can anyone confirm that? - I am of course the proud possessor of a TBGS red/black College scarf from Pickards in Union Street (AND my tie/blazer badge/Old Grammarians tie in the wardrobe in my flat here as we speak) - fairly confident that the yellow/black VI form version of the scarf existed as well..........wasn't so keen on the first three years having to wear (usually sssshh!) the cap - which seemed to spend more time being nicked by the tough kids from Audley than on my head anyway............ ........I suspect that red/black and yellow/black striped blazers may have existed once as well........Pickards had the monopoly on all this I recall........ ...anyway my good friend Andygulls from the same TBGS vintage as me may poss remember who might have moved to Nottingham? I alas do not...ah well fantakkers memories there............. ...oh btw superb to see that TBGS is still RIGHT up there with the best in the country on its academic results - respect to Mr Pike the Headmaster.............. ......fond memories of him in a class in 1974/75 as a youngish History teacher teaching us lot in the prefab in the old TBGS playground - Andygulls was in class too along with Tim Dodge I recall (4th yr? Andy - British Social and Economic History - when Queen were top with Bohemian Rhapsody anyway and Tim used to bring in Black Sabb and Camel records) and Mr Pike saying to us "Boys, one day I will be the Head of this fine school" or suchlike - oh how we laughed - we used to call him Roy as well I recall and spent more time discussing Deep Purple and the Sabbs than history......... .........fantastic well done Mr Pike sir........ ......and great memories of Mr Brian Laird - the finest Languages Teacher I ever had........French for me - I believe he taught Russian as well.........thank you sir as well... cheers Andy L mate (Andygulls) Chris Donovan TBGS Sep 1972 - Jul 1977 1C/2A1/3A1/4H/5B then Torquay Library on a WEP Aug 1977 - Jan 1978 (15 quid a week incr to £18 near the end) and Royal Navy Apr 1978 - Aug 2001 (where I had "considerably more fun") now Gosport Hants ........now how's the table looking? - oh dear - good luck later today lads........ A fine late-night oration from Mr_W. Is that Jerusalem I hear in the background? And how is Rear Admiral Leaman these days, one of our crop of 1967-74? Spragge Boys we are here, wh-oa, wh-oa... (notice the authentic thirty-five year old stains)   We certainly had red-and-black blazers in 1967 but they were optional and I took the plunge:  Pretty sure there was a 6th form scarf for many years and - as for Roy Pike - I believe he arrived in 1970 (in his sports car) and immediately taught me from the 4th year through to the sixth form. What's more I was in a pub in Nottingham only last Sunday with one of my fellow A level historians. |
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Oct 17, 2009 8:26:04 GMT
Do I sense a rival (Newton) Grammar Snobs Thread will be started soon  |
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chelstongull
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Post by chelstongull on Oct 17, 2009 8:32:30 GMT
Do I sense a rival (Newton) Grammar Snobs Thread will be started soon What about us sacondery modan boys!! |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2009 8:36:35 GMT
Threads for other schools are welcome. I'm an advocate of the comprehensive system myself...
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Oct 17, 2009 8:42:57 GMT
Threads for other schools are welcome. I'm an advocate of the comprehensive system myself... Well I may just start one for Highweek School For Boys, but I will have to drop the snob from the title, may only be me and Petef looking back at the good old days, but I'm sure we could make it interesting ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2009 8:59:47 GMT
Look forward to it, Dave. I was being self-deprecating with the "snobs" bit knowing there are those who will replace the "s" with a "k"....
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Post by Mr_W on Oct 17, 2009 9:23:57 GMT
.......fantakkers thread - wow I wasnt expecting this response!! - brilliant - well done Barton and all other contributors!!!!
Chris D
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Oct 17, 2009 12:01:08 GMT
respect to Mr Pike the Headmaster...............fond memories of him in a class in 1974/75 as a youngish History teacher teaching us lot in the prefab in the old TBGS playground - Andygulls was in class too along with Tim Dodge I recall (4th yr? Andy - British Social and Economic History - when Queen were top with Bohemian Rhapsody anyway and Tim used to bring in Black Sabb and Camel records) and Mr Pike saying to us "Boys, one day I will be the Head of this fine school" or suchlike - oh how we laughed - we used to call him Roy as well I recall and spent more time discussing Deep Purple and the Sabbs than history......... .........fantastic well done Mr Pike sir........ ......and great memories of Mr Brian Laird - the finest Languages Teacher I ever had........French for me - I believe he taught Russian as well.........thank you sir as well..... I didn't know Roy P was a Purple fan - we have even more in common than I thought. Our shared interest - I was two years below Mr_W - was Python. He was always very impressed that a couple of us were able to go through the entire Philosophers' Song word for word every time that John Stuart Mill's name cropped up in a History lesson. I'm not sure what George Joslin would have made of it if he had happened to be walking past the window when we were belting out "Socrates himself was permanently pissed". Brian Laird has just retired. You know it is time to go when you welcome a new class by saying that you may have taught some of their fathers or grandfathers. He used to call my lad by my name - as if he had drifted back thirty years in a time warp. Apologies to Chelston - who will find this thread very traumatic. I wish I had had the chance to do metalwork. |
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Post by Mr_W on Oct 17, 2009 14:03:43 GMT
Apologies to Chelston - who will find this thread very traumatic. I wish I had had the chance to do metalwork. ......well, I did woodwork (for the first year anyway - Mr Thirsk) anyone else remember those gauge things and making a boat? - each of the benches in Mr Thirsks Shop had a different coloured tool-box and tools I think..........anyone know what Technical Drawing was all about anyway?......... ...I would like now to move onto the main points.......... 1. ......our School Motto - Aude Sapere - "Dare To Be Wise"........ 2. .........Mr Pike was/is a member of the Flat Earth Society - can anyone confirm or otherwise? - I take you all back to that day in the prefabs in 74/75 - he deffo mentioned it then - as I said I believe the Purps were amongst his faves - we certainly discussed them more than tithe laws, the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the Newcomen bleddy Engine in his BS & E History Classes ain't that for sure................. 3. ...........Mr Pike had a yellow and black sports car I think - no roof?.........didn't Mr Batten have a sports car as well? - he was the Physics lab assistant - Mr Stiles was the Chemistry Lab assistant I do believe.............Old Jakey was the caretaker I recall also.......a small wizened chap - there was a bigger chap in the later days...... 4. .........Anyone remember Mr Hopwood - the mad music teacher - taffa tiffe, taffa tiffe etc............in an English country garden........ ..........Old Hoppy - his gym slipper - oh dear - remember his History tests each week? (little green text books) - 5/10 was the pass mark - or it was Old Hoppy and take the pain........wasn't his son a very talented musician too?......... 5. .........."Hitler" (Mr George Joslin - say no more) - suffice to say his wife (Mrs Joslin I know no more of her than that) - who was French I do believe? - taught us all at the Church of the Assumption RC Primary School, Abbey Road, Torquay......."Hitler" actually caught Howard Finch (sorry mate if you reading this!!!) copying my homework once outside in the first year on a Maths lesson (it was Basil Lowes' classroom - room 1) - he let us both off............... 6. ......Crunch - Mr G C Smith (Head when I was there - 72-77)......also Stan Locker - Deputy Head........my form teachers were Messrs Bunce (room 6)...Rew/Harvey (room 13)......Coon (room 12).....Granger (Lecture Theatre)....Berry (room 4) btw....... 7. ......I seem to remember there were games of volley played against the walls in the playground on the old school site (two big areas) - there was even a kick version up the top there in the gate area near the ATC hut in the higher playground I do believe - due to the guttering at ground level, tactics played a major part - in my day John Ronald was the champ at that.............. 8. ........Woffles Hood - Tommy - what a scream he was as well.......fantastic - think he taught Biology as well as being ref in our footy games.............Messrs Stayte/Golder/Stokes?.......... 9. .............Mr Bill "Taffy" Cannings - tried to teach us lot rugby up at the Manor playing fields - as soon as we learnt that when the man went out of play over the touchline the ball was out as well most of us gave up rugby then..............shot putt instructor of sorts - clean fingers - dirty palm or something............ 10. ........Messrs Roberts/Margetts - swimming - Mr Margetts was also a Chemisty/Physics teacher in my first three years - a VERY short temper............. 11. ........Splasher Wade and Basil Lowe anyone??.....Mr Allen had us all sheltering under the desks when a plane flew over in the summer when the windows were open - honest........... 12. ......didn't some members of Wishbone Ash attend TBGS at some stage? - anyone confirm/deny? - Mark Loram was another famous ex-pupil I think............. 13. ....the tuckshop - on the left hand side in the run of corridor 'tween rooms 1 and 3 - Amazon bars and Curly Wurlys - oh dear - someone stop me....... 14. ...........Cricket up the Manor - remembering my first live witnessed hat-trick by Rob Beling - a fantakkers cricketer - also athlete - he was a great long jumper I recall - why even I took a hat-trick of catches (diff bowlers) once in an innings up there, thanks to Stuart Cowens superb field settings................yep and it WAS a real cricket ball.................... .....cheers all...... Chris Donovan ....not one of TBGS's greatest achievers I admit....... ....2 O Levels C in Maths, B in French...... ....also Ds in English and History...... .... re: Spanish, Physics and Chemistry - ermm forget it!......... ....I wouldn't have changed a thing......... ....now a night security guard on £6.80/h in Pompey - I live in Gosport..... ....now aged 48....... |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2009 20:31:55 GMT
Ah, yes Mr Thirsk and his woodwork hellhole next to the main gate. An absolute disaster for me during the 1st year and merciful relief when it came to an end. I still bear the mental scars. Art wasn't much better. Mr Roper - "String" - I'll say no more in case the man has living relatives. No, no, I won't use the "sadist" word. The Hatter was as mad as a Hoppy. Can still remember Hoppy teaching us the words of Jerusalem using hand gestures as aides-memoire. Hmm...George Joslin, a man with a reputation you learnt within ten seconds of landing in the bloody place. To be honest he never taught me and I can only sympathetically remember him as a pretty decent sixth form tutor. Perhaps that was a lucky escape on my behalf because I was abysmal at languages and was hardly a protege of Piggy Haskins (French) or Stitch Taylor (Latin), the latter being a classical example of sobriety ( edit by our legal team). Jon and myself have previously touched on Rip-Rap, the history teacher and his assault on the Scramble for Africa. Indeed, I'm old enough to have been taught by another legendary historian in the shape of Neddy Kneebone who could easily have dated from Edwardian times himself. Don Roberts, swimmer and chemist (in that order), an out-and-out Torquinian from Ellacombe and possessor of a booming singing voice: "And did those feet in Ancient Times?" (was that Concorde? No, it was Don). And, for me anyway, the Prince of Caretakers was Les Tyrell known to all as "Squirell".... Finally, part of the team line-up from that wonderful 1967/68 season, many of whom still carry the psychological and emotional fallout of those times:    |
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Post by darryl on Oct 17, 2009 21:02:49 GMT
I was a member of the first intake at the Shiphay site of TBGS and if you are talking about the same 'Frenchy' Laird that I had to deal with then the guy was a sadist! 'You, Boy' Rapson was still floating around in his black cape and shapeshifting sunglasses and Mr. Wade was still trying to avoid being run over by his own wife!!!!
Roy Pike was only a geography teacher then and we had Barry 'is or isn't he' Hobbs as headteacher and the devil worshipping Mr Thorner as music teacher. Apart from the inspirational Chris Penford, the best teachers for sheer entertainment were 'bubbles' Thorpe and 'sleepy' Rew. In five glorious years the highlight was when the door of the French room opened up and a snowball flew in and took Mr Wade out with a grassy knoll like head shot.....
Mark Loram went to Churston Grammar & then Brixham Comm Coll, I'm married to his niece and she likes to get the family facts right!
Pickards was still going in 1983!
TBGS sep 1983 - jul 1988 (cricket & football colours & not much else)
South Devon College (The Parrot Pub) various drink and soft drug courses 1988-1990
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2009 21:06:01 GMT
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Post by capitalgull on Oct 17, 2009 21:42:04 GMT
I was a member of the first intake at the Shiphay site of TBGS and if you are talking about the same 'Frenchy' Laird that I had to deal with then the guy was a sadist! 'You, Boy' Rapson was still floating around in his black cape and shapeshifting sunglasses and Mr. Wade was still trying to avoid being run over by his own wife!!!! Roy Pike was only a geography teacher then and we had Barry 'is or isn't he' Hobbs as headteacher and the devil worshipping Mr Thorner as music teacher. Apart from the inspirational Chris Penford, the best teachers for sheer entertainment were 'bubbles' Thorpe and 'sleepy' Rew. In five glorious years the highlight was when the door of the French room opened up and a snowball flew in and took Mr Wade out with a grassy knoll like head shot..... Mark Loram went to Churston Grammar & then Brixham Comm Coll, I'm married to his niece and she likes to get the family facts right! Pickards was still going in 1983! TBGS sep 1983 - jul 1988 (cricket & football colours & not much else) South Devon College (The Parrot Pub) various drink and soft drug courses 1988-1990 So you were in the same year as Andy 'Stepho' 'Rigbsy' Stephens then Darryl. I was a year behind you in the 1984 crew which also includes Paul 'Buts' Butler from this forum as well. I agree with you completely about the inspirational Chris Penford - he was Davys House head by the time I left, and he appointed me House Captain, so he must have had a few sensible bones in his body as well. I absolutely detested Gerald Laird as well - the most horrible teacher I can remember, but his lessons did at least get me good results at GCSE and A Level in French, unlike friendly Guy Palmer who I really liked learning from but couldn't get me better results in German! Stars of the show for me we Pincey Wade, my early French teacher who had left (or been bullied out more likely) by the time I left and Anton Krasnopolski...the only man who I have seen drag a pupil out of a class hair first! Agree with you about Mr Rew - he fell asleep in a few art lessons I can remember, and I am sure I remember him going mad before my exit. And then there was sweaty Sherratt, the only man who could smell badly after putting deodorant on....which I am pretty sure he never did. TBGS was a great time for me, though. Just realising, a bit strangely, that I have never been back since!! |
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Post by Mr_W on Oct 18, 2009 8:34:51 GMT
It's 1972/73 and United have been relegated to Division Four leaving many of the lads looking altogether rather glum....     (it's not a complete picture so apologies for missing anybody). .........Oh God my dear Barton - that is incredible - that is the pic that was taken at the school when I was in the first year - I feel SOO emotional seeing it again now after all the years have gone by - I alas did not get a copy of it - I suppose as we were the first year then the priority was not to let us have them maybe - who knows - anyway - what I can't get over is there appeared in general to only be one haircut for the boys - a sort of Oasis/Beatles hybrid effort - in a moptop stylee!........ ..........I tbh can't find myself for CERTAIN - however there are a couple of possibilities there - what has confused the issue is that some of us sprog newbies are sitting at the front whilst some others are placed intermittently among the bigger lads further back - oh I dunno!........ ..........I can however with confidence identify Crunch, Dave Golder, Roy Pike, Brian Laird, Mr Bunce, Mr Titchener, Mr Kay, Taffy Cannings, Tommy Hood, George "Hitler" Joslin, Mr Thirsk, Splasher Wade, Mr Madman Allen, Don Roberts and BOTH the lab assistants - Messrs Stiles/Batten.......... .......oh thanks so much for posting again Barton!.... cheers Chris D ...this is a V interesting link...... www.tbgs.co.uk/ |
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Post by Mr_W on Oct 18, 2009 11:47:40 GMT
.....hot update to my post above - I think I have found me in the pic!! - reason I'm so "sure" is that I can deffo identify Phil Percy, Mark Treleavan, Ian Churchward and Keith Harding all along the same line - they were all in 1C along with me n Andygulls as he will testify I think! - Mark has a grey shirt on so that made it easier to recognise him - I remember he used to wear them sometimes - also further along is some of 1A - Paul Titley, Les Flower are there I recognise them as well.........Chris Pascoe, Roger Metcalfe, Andygulls, Tom Banks - all good fans of ours - should all be on there as well.....truly extraordinary......
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